Re: Pain management - Jade share

[Guest guest]

Schaferwrote:

>>I have been in pain management for a few months now. I like the fact that it

is easier to get meds(I guess the doc figures that if you made it to him, your

not just a drug addict. I too, would like others input also.

I have been in pain management for years now, and I am grateful that I finally

landed there. I had gone through 27 doctors to get there. Each doctor ran a

bunch of useless tests, and caused me more pain and time off from work.

Finally, I guess they ran out of specialists to send me to.

When I got to pain management at the first hospital they were horrible there.

They were mean and refused to really do anything that actually helped me. They

didn't believe that the meds they were giving me were making me sick and they

told me, " Either you take the meds we're giving you or you stay in pain. You

decide. "

I didn't like that response so I went to the insurance company and filed a

complaint. They got me set up at a different hospital which is 40 min drive

from home. I saw the chief in the new pain management department. He was a

royal jerk and tried to tell me that my pain was caused because he feels that I

was sexually abused as a child. Where he got that idea from I have no idea.

This chief was rude and obnoxious but there is no other local pain management

clinic that my insurance covers, so I was stuck with him. My 1st visit with him

was 2 hours. I was crying so bad with all his insults and slurs at me, so I

ended it by saying he had to give me something and it had to be something that

if it worked he would refill. He put me on methadone.

Methadone was a disaster but it worked for the pain. Methadone gave me

nightmares and night sweats, and dry mouth. Those were the worst symptoms. But

even those were better than the pain.

I finally got fed up with jerk chief so I got myself a social worker at the

hospital. Usually this is not a typical job for the social workers, but when I

told them who my doctor was they jumped in to help me. They had problems with

him before.

So, I saw a therapist 2x who worked with the social workers, and then the pain

management department psychologist who reassigned me to a new doctor. I was

afraid that since this new doctor reported to the chief that the chief would

just overturn whatever the new doctor did. But the psychologist told me that

this new doctor was not a pushover, and that many times she has seen him buck

the chief and just do things the new way and told the chief to take a hike.

I saw the new doctor. I figured I had nothing to lose. But wow, the new doctor

was amazing. Even more amazing when you compare him to the chief or the other

hospital I came from.

At my very 1st appointment the new doctor said, " Methadone is not working for

you, let me change you. " I didn't even have to ask! Amazing. He actually

listened, and worked with me. He got me in to see the department therapist, and

I have been doing wonderful under his care.

I told him what a fantastic doctor he is because right off the bat he prescribed

me on the med I am taking now, and I have no ill side effects from it. He

addressed all of my concerns. and he's somewhat pleasant and helpful, he returns

calls. Ha ha. I know that should be the norm, but after all the 27 doctors I

had to go through to get to him, I can tell you he's 1 in 28 so far. But, I

would say he's more like 1 in a million.

My latest botox complaint comes from a whole other story, so I'll leave that one

alone for now. But, I love pain management. It is so much easier to explain

pain to a " good " pain management doctor, than to anyone else. Because no one

else quite understands and no one else is going to give you the medication you

need. The other types of doctors are too worried to prescribe anything heavy

and lose their license.

Also, I know I wouldn't want to have my primary prescribing me pain medications.

My primary just doesn't have enough experience in that area to know what would

be safe or what would work.

Just my opinion. Thank you for letting me share.

Jade